Elections are expected to be held in 2013 in the republics of Dagestan and Ingushetia. However, many experts believe that there will be no popular vote. According to the recently adopted legislation, the regions can decide whether or not to elect local leaders by popular vote.
Valery Khomyakov talked to VK about the political situation in the republics.
In Russia among the expert community, not all, thank God, there is a myth that the Caucasus is a kind of common mentality, a single attitude to authority, a single vote and motivation for voting. Of course, this is not so. Certainly, the elections in the two republics, which are most likely to take place in Ingushetia and in Dagestan, are beneficial, above all, for the people of Ingushetia and Dagestan. These will be two very different election campaigns. If in Ingushetia, as I think, there will be a struggle of elites, a severe struggle, especially between those who still remember Ruslan Aushev, his activity in Ingushetia, and those who respect the current president Mr. Yevkurov, who in my opinion has quite successfully started to fight corruption in his republic and suffered from it. However, it seems to me, the federal center should still rely on the people of Ingushetia in the electoral campaign. This is, of course, the right of the republic - to elect or to appoint its head.
In Dagestan, of course, the situation is somewhat different. It is related to the fact that Dagestan is essentially a multi-party republic. I would have just cancelled multi-party elections in Dagestan. How can there be a party when there are such a tremendous number of peoples? The effect of different nationalities is different, according to how they are represented in the federal center or not, I'm not talking about the republic itself. The form of government that was in Dagestan till 2006 under the name "Council of State", in my opinion, was more optimal for such a multinational republic. Then, due to various circumstances, the legislation was changed, and then, by the way, all these big problems, including terrorism and other things, started. The second factor is that Magomedov, of course, had been in power too long, but when the State Council was created, it was clearly stated that a representative of one nation should not be in power for more than two terms and had to be rotated. This rotation was postponed by Magomedov, and this, I think, was his main mistake. An Avar replaced a Dargin. Avars are the largest nationality in Dagestan. One of the first statements by Abdulatipov was "I want to be elected"; I believe this shows that he had found the strategy which he would build in his new political class in this complex republic. The first thing is the election. I have no doubt that he will win with a good result. Secondly - I think, in the course of the election campaign for President of the Republic of Dagestan, Ramadan Gadzhimuradovich could claim that he was elected, but he would offer a revision of the Constitution in order to return to a State Council or a parliamentary form of government, so that every nationality, every clan was represented in the government. Then, perhaps, the contradictions and conflicts that exist now and what we are seeing here with bitterness in Moscow - murders and other tragic stories - could come to nought. Of course, in these conditions the interaction between complex and respectable Dagestani society and law enforcement agencies is one of the key elements. If this interaction, this understanding does not exist, then it is obvious that there can be a continuation of these sad stories that we see.
